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He helped himself to champagne. “Any sign of Lord Adler?”
“Not yet.” I meandered along the buffet. “I’m keeping my eye out for the American.”
Not that Konstantin had done a good job of describing him. He had told me the man’s name was Jesse Howland, and given me a newspaper clipping with a group photograph where Howland’s face was a blurry smudge.
“Was Howland blond?” I asked. “Do you remember?”
Wendel didn’t reply. Was he distracted by the champagne? Sighing, I turned around.
He was gone.
My heart leapt into my throat. I glanced around the ballroom, but the swirl of dancers blocked my way. I couldn’t get a clear line of sight.
“Excuse me!” said a young man.
Barely older than a boy, he hadn’t grown into his face yet. His black hair had been slicked back. Something about the sharpness of his cheekbones…
“That man with you,” he said. “Where did he go?”
Fuck. Was this stranger with the Order of the Asphodel? I couldn’t kill him first, ask questions later, unlike Wendel’s strategy with necromancy.
I faked a smile. “Sorry?”
“He was with you a moment ago, but then he vanished?—”
“Men often vanish at a ball,” interrupted a lady, “when they tire of dancing.”
She smiled at us. Her silk gown shimmered, a rose petal pink embroidered with ornate silver brocade, with long silver lacework sleeves in a fashion that evoked the Orient. The lady, too, looked like she had come from afar, with dark hair and eyes that reminded me of mine.
“Pardon me, but I couldn’t help but overhear.” She held out an elegantly gloved hand.
He kissed the air above her fingers. “Lady Maili.”
“You might want to introduce yourself,” Lady Maili said, “for her sake.”
“My apologies.” He dipped into a quick bow. “Prince Wolfram of Prussia.”
I did a bad job of disguising the shock on my face. Another Prince of Prussia? What were the odds? And Wendel had mentioned having a brother.
I decided to mimic Lady Maili’s charm. “A prince? This will sound very American, but I must say I’m surprised. I’ve never met a prince before.”
Wolfram frowned. “But that man—I’m certain of it.”
“Certain of what?”
“He was my brother.”
My stomach plunged. Sometimes I hated being right.
“Another prince?” Lady Maili laughed. “This ball is turning out all right.”
Wolfram’s frown deepened. “I haven’t seen my brother for years. He left home when I was no more than a child. Maybe I have my hopes up too high.”
“How awful.” Lady Maili had a sympathetic frown.
“What was his name?” I asked.
“Wendel.”
